Singin’ Sinatra

Ah, there’s nothing like the interplay between an audience and performer when the performer is knocking it out of the park.

That was the case at Charlie Blum’s performance of Sinatra's Great American Songbook, Saturday night at the Jewish Congregation of Marco Island (JCMI).

Blum is an entertainment industry executive with over 40 years of experience as a major concert promoter, talent buyer, and theatre executive. He’s worked with music's biggest names: Michael Jackson, Liza Minelli, Liberace, Ethel Merman and Aretha Franklin, to name a few. 

Blum knows what a good show looks like—and sounds like. He also knows how to pace a show. How to connect with an audience. He’s watched the best in the world.

"By watching the others,” Blum said, "I got a chance to see what worked, what didn’t. But at the end of the day, the songs - the music, just moves me. Watching them perform over the years, whether it be Sinatra, or Steve and Eydie Gorme, or Johnny Mathis or Tony Bennett, the list goes on and on that I’ve had the honor and pleasure of working with. I’ve watched their technique. But then picking the right songs that you can feel is what it’s all about."

The JCMI audience was also treated to top notch performances from guest artists Kristyn Estes and JJ Boylan. Estes and Blum sang a couple of nice duets.

But that was only part of an evening of entertainment that could qualify as a variety show.

Blum knows how to tell a story - and boy does he have a treasure trove of stories to draw from. On this night he engages the audience with highly entertaining first-hand stories about Carol Channing, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Bublé, and Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. They’re all the kind of stories music and movie fans covet hearing.

The crowd is literally buzzing as Blum sends them off for a quick intermission. One lady is overheard saying, 'He’s fabulous.’ Another excitedly says, ’I’ve never heard him before.’ The crowd is primed and can’t seem to wait to get back to their seats for the second act.

Blum is obviously happy to see the crowd back in their seats and eager for more.

Attendee Estie Karpman was pumped up during the intermission.

“I think it’s great,” Karpman said. "He’s just such a genuine person. And he loves Marco, which we are blessed. It’s nice that not only is he entertaining us, but we get a chance to interact with him. This is my era of music. I just think it’s fabulous. We’ve seen him before, but tonight's show was totally different, which impresses me.”

An early highlight of the second act comes when JJ Boylan’s brilliant rendition of “Mr. Cellophane” leaves the capacity crowd hooting and hollering.

Blum also delivers a heavy dose of comedy throughout both acts. All of his bits seem to get plenty of laughs. No doubt his comedy chops were spawned while growing up as the son of theatre parents. A comedy bit during the second set had the crowd roaring with laughter.

Blum had islander Judy Sacher up on stage to play a round of Jeopardy.

“When I went up there to play Jeopardy,” Judy Sacher jokes, "I wish I could have had Alex Trebek and that I could call a friend and ask for a lifeline."

The musical accompaniment is pre-recorded material played at a level appropriate for the size of the venue. Let’s face it, Charlie Blum’s a pro.

Some of the standards Blum covers in the two-hour performance are “The Best is Yet to Come,” “Witchcraft,” “Call Me Irresponsible,” and “Fly Me to the Moon.”

“I was very happy,” Blum said through a celebratory smile following the performance. "It was something different for me bringing guest artists. Equally exciting is that I was able to add songs and a new format to the show. Keep the standards in there but at the same time give them some of the hits they have seen or heard before. And the crowd was great. I’m excited about that.”